Transportation

Kids' Bike Rodeo

Kids and parents/guardians, came to Huntsville Public School
for a bike rodeo! Kids learn basic cycling skills and safety as they are guided through different stations each with a separate cycling
focus,
including: helmet and bike safety checks, road safety (signs and
signals), a mock intersection, shoulder checks and agility.

Stay tuned for the 2018 Kids' Bike Rodeo.

Many thanks to our
partners who help make the bike rodeo a success..

Mayor's Bike Ride

The community joined Mayor Scott Aitchison in River Mill Park for the Third Annual Mayor's Bike Ride around Huntsville.

Many thanks to our
partners who help make the bike ride a success.

Crosswalks and Sharrows

We're trying to make Huntsville a safer, easier, and more convenient place for people to walk and ride their bikes. Our first projects from the Active Transportation Strategy (see below) are more visible crosswalks and bike symbols called "sharrows" painted on the road.

Crosswalks

There has always been a crosswalk in this location, but the new method of painting (contrasted painting) makes them more visible for drivers to spot pedestrians in the crosswalk. The high-contrast paint pattern tells drivers to slow down in this area (Centre Street North and Caroline Street) near a public school and church.

photo credit: The Huntsville Forester

Sharrows

Sharrows are the name for the bicycle symbols that have been painted on the road along Dara Howell Way, Caroline St. and Centre Street North. The word "sharrow" is a combination of the words "arrow" and "share the road" with two chevrons pointing the way forward. The markings are meant to attract cyclists and remind two-wheeled and four-wheeled road users alike to share the road with each other. When we're courteous towards other road users, the roads are a safe place to drive and cycle. "Share the Road" signage is spaced out along the sharrows route.

Active Transportation Strategy and Reports

From September to December 2012, a group of planning students from Ryerson University developed an Active Transportation Strategy for the Town of Huntsville. Three main themes emerged in the strategy and form the basis for their recommendations: connectivity, accessibility, and education. Read the full report.

Near-Term Actions

The Ryerson report is so comprehensive, that in order to implement some of these projects we needed to narrow the scope. Through a grant from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and the Healthy Partnership Program we were able to hire a consultant to help us identify projects that will be quickly actionable (within 2 years) and impactful.

Next steps: staff will present the report to committee for prioritization and seek costs for proposed projects. Read the consultant report .

Active Transportation in the Official Plan

In 2014, the Town of Huntsville again received funding through the Healthy Communities Partnership Program of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. The project goal was to draft Official Plan statements that will provide policy support for planning decisions that result in active transportation (human powered modes of transportation). Our "Idea Bombing" event (held January 15, 2015) was designed to gather your ideas through fun and engaging activities which ultimately contributed to the final report. Read the report: Active Transportation Oriented Official Plan Policies.

These policies will be integrated into the Official Plan Review that is currently taking place (fall 2015 and winter 2016). To learn more about this process and to participate, please visit the Official Plan Review page.